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Timothy Dean and Charlene Childers both pleaded not guilty in a Wayne County court to murder charges stemming from a double homicide in Sodus in October.

Dean, 32, has been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree conspiracy in connection to the Oct. 22 shooting in the village of Sodus that left Joshua Niles, 28, and Amber Washburn, 24, dead. All charges are felonies.

Childers, who is married to Dean, had originally been charged with second-degree conspiracy and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. A second-degree murder charge was added Wednesday.

Childers, 25, is the mother of Niles' two oldest children.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office believes Dean was the shooter, but that Dean, Childers and a third defendant, Bron Bohlar, all conspired to kill Niles. Wayne County District Attorney Michael Calarco said the new murder charge filed against Childers is a result of that theory.

Charlene Childers arrives for a preliminary hearing at Sodus Town Court. The hearing was cancelled with the case being waived to the Wayne County grand jury. Childers, 25, is charged with second-degree conspiracy and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection to the double homicide of Joshua Niles, 28, and Amber Washburn, 24. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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"We believe that the initial actions began in Texas with Mr. Dean traveling to Sodus, New York, and unfortunately for the Niles and Washburn families ... led to a very tragic result," Calarco said. "It's our belief and allegation that Mr. Dean was the one who pulled the trigger, obviously. The conspiracy theory and the acting together allegations would give rise to the murder charge against Ms. Childers as well."

Dean, a former police chief in Sunray, Texas, was arrested in Texas on Oct. 29 and extradited to New York on Nov. 19. He was arraigned Friday in Sodus, where he pleaded not guilty and was remanded by Sodus Town Justice Robert Fratangelo to the Wayne County Jail on no bail, where he remains after Wednesday's court appearance.

Joe Damelio, Dean's attorney, said that if and when Dean's case goes to trial, he hopes community members — potential jurors — will pay more attention to the "facts of this case as they come in through the courtroom, and not through social media."

"This is a case where our constitution guarantees us the presumption of innocence, and our whole judicial system is based on that. And certainly with the allegations in this case, it's so important that the community not prejudge this case," Damelio said. "The defense and the district attorney want the same thing — a fair trial."